I was driving slowly down the street when I spotted a woman walking down the sidewalk, totally engrossed in reading a book. She didn't even look up when she reached the intersection, just stepped off the curb right in front of me. Fortunately, I had spotted her in time and was going slowly enough that I could easily stop. She never took her eyes off her book; I don't think she even was aware of my car.

I got a good look at the cover of the book she was reading. The book that made her as oblivious to her surroundings as a teenager texting away? Murder Must Advertise, the book from which I took my screen name.

I've being trying trying to figure out why your name sounded familiar! Great book, but I can put it down while walking

I was driving slowly down the street when I spotted a woman walking down the sidewalk, totally engrossed in reading a book. She didn't even look up when she reached the intersection, just stepped off the curb right in front of me. Fortunately, I had spotted her in time and was going slowly enough that I could easily stop. She never took her eyes off her book; I don't think she even was aware of my car.

I got a good look at the cover of the book she was reading. The book that made her as oblivious to her surroundings as a teenager texting away? Murder Must Advertise, the book from which I took my screen name.

I was driving slowly down the street when I spotted a woman walking down the sidewalk, totally engrossed in reading a book. She didn't even look up when she reached the intersection, just stepped off the curb right in front of me. Fortunately, I had spotted her in time and was going slowly enough that I could easily stop. She never took her eyes off her book; I don't think she even was aware of my car.

I got a good look at the cover of the book she was reading. The book that made her as oblivious to her surroundings as a teenager texting away? Murder Must Advertise, the book from which I took my screen name.

You know, I love to read, but I love breathing more.

When I walked into the side of a car at 18, everyone assumed that I was reading.

Nope, I'd looked up & the light was RED so I started across. And I'm told that it turned green just as I stepped off the curb and more or less into the side of a vehicle.

Broken collar bone and my senior ring got smeared...and the nurse at the ER told my mother that my fiance had already been called. The fiance that I hadn't mentioned had proposed yet.....

It's been 37 years, we have two grown kids (28 & 19) and one grandkid - I'd say that it worked out all right...so far.

I no longer read while walking places...at 55, I don't heal as fast as I used to.

I was driving slowly down the street when I spotted a woman walking down the sidewalk, totally engrossed in reading a book. She didn't even look up when she reached the intersection, just stepped off the curb right in front of me. Fortunately, I had spotted her in time and was going slowly enough that I could easily stop. She never took her eyes off her book; I don't think she even was aware of my car.

I got a good look at the cover of the book she was reading. The book that made her as oblivious to her surroundings as a teenager texting away? Murder Must Advertise, the book from which I took my screen name.

I've being trying trying to figure out why your name sounded familiar! Great book, but I can put it down while walking

Great book! One of my favorites. I had a similar experience with a guy, not reading, but talking on the phone. He was walking diagonally across a T-shaped intersection. I was trying to turn right, there was someone coming the other direction trying to go straight. Guy with the phone stopped dead right in the middle of the intersection so that neither of the cars could move. He looked REALLY affronted when the other driver honked and then he SLOOOOOOWLY strolled the rest of the way diagonally across the intersection.

I take it you have actually talked to your neighbors about this problem with no results?

Yes, absolutely. There seem to be about eight adults who live there and I don't know how many kids. I/we have left polite notes, have complained to the apartment manager who claims to send "helpful reminders" and have tried talking to them. There is either a genuine language barrier or they're pretending there is one....I'm not going to go there and try to guess on that.

But either way, we're now documenting the parking violations (it's expressly included in the lease what the parking regulations are) and have sent photos and so far one letter via certified mail to the apartment manager about this, since it's the management company's job to enforce the lease. Anyway. We're documenting and now sending official complaint letters - building a case, as it were. Hate to do it, but nothing seems to be working. If, God forbid, we have another accident due to the parking, a small claims case will be filed. But that's getting legal, and I'm not going to go there .... just rest assured we're taking the legal steps we need to to resolve the situation. Fire marshal will be next.

In any case, we're hoping we can afford a down payment on a house later this year, if I manage to find a job in the field I'm trying to transition into.

I just posted this to further illustrate how *rude* some people are. It's teeth-gnashing worthy! grrrrr.

I'm going to nominate all the people in my apartment complex who don't pick up after their dogs. It's in the lease that you will do so. But they figure if they go out with the dog at night no one will see them not picking up. Just grow up already, people!

And a big 'ol 'Thanks, ya jerk' from the responsible dog owners, who have a terrible time finding rentals because landlords have been burned by you too many times.

When you move in you take a cheek swab from your dog and submit it to complex management for DNA testing. They keep the test results on file. When they find a dog dropping on the property they run DNA analysis on it, match it to the results on file, and fine the owner who didn't clean up behind his dog. Under this system they almost never find droppings because the owner knows he's almost certain to get caught.

Its a shame people are so inconsiderate that the landlord has to resort to this.

I'm going to nominate all the people in my apartment complex who don't pick up after their dogs. It's in the lease that you will do so. But they figure if they go out with the dog at night no one will see them not picking up. Just grow up already, people!

And a big 'ol 'Thanks, ya jerk' from the responsible dog owners, who have a terrible time finding rentals because landlords have been burned by you too many times.

When you move in you take a cheek swab from your dog and submit it to complex management for DNA testing. They keep the test results on file. When they find a dog dropping on the property they run DNA analysis on it, match it to the results on file, and fine the owner who didn't clean up behind his dog. Under this system they almost never find droppings because the owner knows he's almost certain to get caught.

Its a shame people are so inconsiderate that the landlord has to resort to this.

I love this solution. A little pricey, but worth it to the rest of us!

Logged

“A real desire to believe all the good you can of others and to make others as comfortable as you can will solve most of the problems.” CS Lewis

I was driving slowly down the street when I spotted a woman walking down the sidewalk, totally engrossed in reading a book. She didn't even look up when she reached the intersection, just stepped off the curb right in front of me. Fortunately, I had spotted her in time and was going slowly enough that I could easily stop. She never took her eyes off her book; I don't think she even was aware of my car.

I got a good look at the cover of the book she was reading. The book that made her as oblivious to her surroundings as a teenager texting away? Murder Must Advertise, the book from which I took my screen name.

I also love to read while walking. But I still come to a complete stop at every corner and look. I also only do it in my neighborhood, where cars speed along at 20mph.

Nice little ironic touch there!

Logged

If wisdom’s ways you wisely seek,Five things observe with care,To whom you speak,Of whom you speak,And how, and when, and where.Caroline Lake Ingalls

Little-Geekette was a very special snowflake when it came to food. Grown-Geekette is only marginally better - I still hate it all, but if you serve it to me I'll eat it in a reasonable time frame... Well, most of it...

There's a lot of recent research that says that there's huge variation among humans as to how food 'tastes'. Regional preferences tend to be based on what's available in that region. If you liked the food that was available in your region, you ate more of it- and were better prepared to survive a famine. Now, however, with a big variety of foods, picky eaters don't starve to death at a young age; they survive, and possibly they pass their genetic abilities to find certain foods unpleasant on to their offspring. Some of the taste differences turn out to be beneficial: I am one of the lucky few who can't taste the bitter aftertaste of artificial sweeteners. I switched to diet drinks back in my teens (remember Tab?) and I shudder to imagine how much I'd weigh if I hadn't. Geekette, it sounds like you're a 'supertaster'- you can taste the bitter or unpleasant aspects of many foods. It's not a moral failing, any more than having freckles or blue eyes is. It's nice you learned to eat foods whether you like them or not; I agree that's a valid social skill to have. But reading the research has made me very sympathetic with picky eaters, because I can think about how awful it is for them that they get no pleasure out of foods I enjoy. I realize that with kids, a lot of times it's just unfamiliarity. I got a lot of mileage over Christmas from the phrase 'More for the rest of us!' with the youngest generation of the family. Amazing how kids want to try anything that the grownups don't WANT to share.

Little-Geekette was a very special snowflake when it came to food. Grown-Geekette is only marginally better - I still hate it all, but if you serve it to me I'll eat it in a reasonable time frame... Well, most of it...

There's a lot of recent research that says that there's huge variation among humans as to how food 'tastes'. Regional preferences tend to be based on what's available in that region. If you liked the food that was available in your region, you ate more of it- and were better prepared to survive a famine. Now, however, with a big variety of foods, picky eaters don't starve to death at a young age; they survive, and possibly they pass their genetic abilities to find certain foods unpleasant on to their offspring. Some of the taste differences turn out to be beneficial: I am one of the lucky few who can't taste the bitter aftertaste of artificial sweeteners. I switched to diet drinks back in my teens (remember Tab?) and I shudder to imagine how much I'd weigh if I hadn't.

And I'm your opposite. Artificial sweeteners have NO sweet taste for me, just the appalling bitter. The worst one is/was Fresca; my MIL took it as a deliberate insult against her that I disliked her favorite drink. My non-caloric drink of choice is unsweetened tea, either black or herbal.

Quote

Geekette, it sounds like you're a 'supertaster'- you can taste the bitter or unpleasant aspects of many foods. It's not a moral failing, any more than having freckles or blue eyes is. It's nice you learned to eat foods whether you like them or not; I agree that's a valid social skill to have. But reading the research has made me very sympathetic with picky eaters, because I can think about how awful it is for them that they get no pleasure out of foods I enjoy.

But we supertasters get equal pleasure out of foods that you might consider bland and unappealing. Shrimp, for instance. No cocktail sauce, no marinara, no Old Bay. Just plain steamed shrimp. They have a delicious, delicate flavor all their own that those who bread them and drown them in some kind of sauce or seasoning will never taste.

Logged

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~Common sense is not a gift, but a curse. Because thenyou have to deal with all the people who don't have it. ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Little-Geekette was a very special snowflake when it came to food. Grown-Geekette is only marginally better - I still hate it all, but if you serve it to me I'll eat it in a reasonable time frame... Well, most of it...

There's a lot of recent research that says that there's huge variation among humans as to how food 'tastes'. Regional preferences tend to be based on what's available in that region. If you liked the food that was available in your region, you ate more of it- and were better prepared to survive a famine. Now, however, with a big variety of foods, picky eaters don't starve to death at a young age; they survive, and possibly they pass their genetic abilities to find certain foods unpleasant on to their offspring. Some of the taste differences turn out to be beneficial: I am one of the lucky few who can't taste the bitter aftertaste of artificial sweeteners. I switched to diet drinks back in my teens (remember Tab?) and I shudder to imagine how much I'd weigh if I hadn't. Geekette, it sounds like you're a 'supertaster'- you can taste the bitter or unpleasant aspects of many foods. It's not a moral failing, any more than having freckles or blue eyes is. It's nice you learned to eat foods whether you like them or not; I agree that's a valid social skill to have. But reading the research has made me very sympathetic with picky eaters, because I can think about how awful it is for them that they get no pleasure out of foods I enjoy. I realize that with kids, a lot of times it's just unfamiliarity. I got a lot of mileage over Christmas from the phrase 'More for the rest of us!' with the youngest generation of the family. Amazing how kids want to try anything that the grownups don't WANT to share.

Thank you for posting that. I also get annoyed by the suggestion that picky eaters were "spoiled" by permissive parents. My oldest daughter (age 11) is like me and will eat pretty much everything you put in front of her. She has always been like that, even as a toddler. My second daughter (age 10) is just the opposite. She's extremely picky. She wishes she wasn't. She wishes she could appreciate a wider variety of foods, but she just cannot. She, too, has always been like that. I have raised her to be polite about it, to try different foods (she's actually willing to do that) and to make an effort when she's a guest, but she is most likely a supertaster AND she has sensory issues with textures. I think as long as a picky eater does not demand special meals nor make a big production out of being grossed out by some foods, there is no Special Snowflakery.

Little-Geekette was a very special snowflake when it came to food. Grown-Geekette is only marginally better - I still hate it all, but if you serve it to me I'll eat it in a reasonable time frame... Well, most of it...

There's a lot of recent research that says that there's huge variation among humans as to how food 'tastes'. Regional preferences tend to be based on what's available in that region. If you liked the food that was available in your region, you ate more of it- and were better prepared to survive a famine. Now, however, with a big variety of foods, picky eaters don't starve to death at a young age; they survive, and possibly they pass their genetic abilities to find certain foods unpleasant on to their offspring. Some of the taste differences turn out to be beneficial: I am one of the lucky few who can't taste the bitter aftertaste of artificial sweeteners. I switched to diet drinks back in my teens (remember Tab?) and I shudder to imagine how much I'd weigh if I hadn't. Geekette, it sounds like you're a 'supertaster'- you can taste the bitter or unpleasant aspects of many foods. It's not a moral failing, any more than having freckles or blue eyes is. It's nice you learned to eat foods whether you like them or not; I agree that's a valid social skill to have. But reading the research has made me very sympathetic with picky eaters, because I can think about how awful it is for them that they get no pleasure out of foods I enjoy. I realize that with kids, a lot of times it's just unfamiliarity. I got a lot of mileage over Christmas from the phrase 'More for the rest of us!' with the youngest generation of the family. Amazing how kids want to try anything that the grownups don't WANT to share.

Thank you for posting that. I also get annoyed by the suggestion that picky eaters were "spoiled" by permissive parents. My oldest daughter (age 11) is like me and will eat pretty much everything you put in front of her. She has always been like that, even as a toddler. My second daughter (age 10) is just the opposite. She's extremely picky. She wishes she wasn't. She wishes she could appreciate a wider variety of foods, but she just cannot. She, too, has always been like that. I have raised her to be polite about it, to try different foods (she's actually willing to do that) and to make an effort when she's a guest, but she is most likely a supertaster AND she has sensory issues with textures. I think as long as a picky eater does not demand special meals nor make a big production out of being grossed out by some foods, there is no Special Snowflakery.

My pickiness comes from textures and tastes. I can eat onions when they're part of a Thai stir fry that I like, but not when they're in a different restaurant's sweet n sour chicken. I'll eat pico de gallo if it's well-disguised with other things like guacamole, but I can't eat huge chunks of tomatoes. There's something in my head that sends off a signal going "Warning! Warning! This is NOT supposed to taste like this!" and will trigger a gag reflex. I wish I was different, and I've gotten better, but in some cases it's taken years to get used to certain foods cooked certain ways.

But we supertasters get equal pleasure out of foods that you might consider bland and unappealing. Shrimp, for instance. No cocktail sauce, no marinara, no Old Bay. Just plain steamed shrimp. They have a delicious, delicate flavor all their own that those who bread them and drown them in some kind of sauce or seasoning will never taste.

I don't think I'm a supertaster, but maybe this is why I like plain potatoes and bread and rice and meat. I had a coworker tell me "your food doesn't look good" while her food is drowning in lots of stuff (which is fine, but I don't say anything about your food, so please don't say anything about mine).

My uncle and his son, my cousin, were both total snowflakes over Christmas. Apparently my uncle had lent some money to my cousin, and texted him, on Christmas Day, to ask him about setting up a payment plan to repay the money (because that's always a good time to ask about things like that, right?). My cousin bean dipped him about paying the money back, and then made a strange comment about "and anyway, I'm going to see MY family today". My uncle texted back and said, "what do you mean?", and it came out that cousin believes that our family as a whole likes him and considers him more of a family member than we do my uncle.

So there's my cousin's Special Snowflake moment; who thinks it's okay to tell your father that nobody in the family likes him or thinks he's part of the family? Then my uncle turned into a Special Snowflake, and asked my mom, who was hosting everyone for Christmas dinner, to uninvite my cousin. She caved, and uninvited my cousin, and my uncle still decided to not come and pout about how no one likes him.

I love my uncle and my cousin, but my goodness...we almost had a blizzard Christmas morning! And because they're both being "Special", neither of them gave any consideration to how it would affect everyone else. I didn't get to see either of them while I was home, which makes me very sad. Of course, after the whole drama, I might have tried to knock some sense into them if I had seen them...